Dahlia plant named &#39;bounty&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Dahlia  plant named ‘Bounty’ characterized by its white ray floret color, RHS 155A; compact plant habit; and vigorous growth habit.

GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Dahlia (hybrid)

VARIETY DENOMINATION

Bounty

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant, botanically known as a Dahlia (hybrid), and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Bounty’. The new cultivar ‘Bounty’ is a product of a planned breeding program and was selected by the Inventor, Jan Skjold Knudsen, in Fyn, Denmark. The new cultivar ‘Bounty’ originated from a cross made by the Inventor between the Dahlia cultivar designated ‘Tonga’ (unpatented) as the female parent and the Dahlia cultivar designated ‘Malaysia’ (unpatented) as the male parent.

Asexual reproduction by cuttings of the new variety in Fyn, Denmark has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as described herein for ‘Bounty’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction. The new variety reproduces true to type.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

‘Bounty’ has not been tested under all available environmental conditions and the phenotype may vary with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, light intensity, day length and humidity, without a change in genotype of the plant.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Bounty’. The following characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Bounty’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. White ray floret color, RHS 155A;

2. Compact plant habit; and

3. Vigorous growth habit.

Side-by-side comparisons between the new Dahlia cultivar ‘Bounty’ and the parental cultivars, ‘Tonga’ and ‘Malaysia’, were conducted by the Inventor in Fyn, Denmark. ‘Bounty’ differs from the female parental cultivar, ‘Tonga’, primarily in ray floret color. ‘Bounty’ has white ray florets, RHS 155A, whereas the ray floret color of ‘Tonga’ is gray-red, RHS 181C to gray-yellow, RHS 161A. ‘Bounty’ differs from the male parental cultivar, ‘Malaysia’, primarily in ray floret color and inflorescence size. ‘Bounty has white ray florets, RHS 155A, whereas the ray floret color of ‘Malaysia’ is red-purple, RHS 63B to 63C. ‘Bounty’ has an inflorescence diameter of 7-8 cm, whereas the inflorescence diameter of ‘Malaysia’ is 6.5 cm.

Of the commercial cultivars known to the Inventor, the most similar in comparison to ‘Bounty’ is the female parental cultivar, ‘Tonga’

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the overall appearance and details of inflorescence form color and structures of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in color reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Dahlia.

The first photograph is a side view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bounty’ as grown in an 11 cm pot. The second photograph is a top view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Bounty’. The third photograph is a close-up of the inflorescence of ‘Bounty’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown under commercial conditions. Plants described were 12 to 14 weeks old, and were grown in a greenhouse in Fyn, Denmark with average day temperatures of 18° C. to 25° C., and night temperature of 16° C. All color references are measured against The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Colour Chart. Colors are approximate as color depends on horticultural practices such as light level and treatment rate, among others, without however any variance in genotype.

PLANT

-   -   -   Form.—Globular, upright.         -   Height.—20 cm.         -   Spread.—20 cm.         -   Natural flowering season.—Summer to fall.         -   Crop time.—After rooting, about 10-12 weeks are required to             produce finished flowering plants in 11 cm pots.         -   Plant vigor.—Vigorous.         -   Root structure.—Fibrous.         -   Stem.—Yellow-green RHS 144; diameter 10-12 mm.         -   Lateral branches.—5-6 in quantity; 7-10 mm diameter; 14 cm             in length (including inflorescence) color: yellow-green, RHS             144C.         -   Internode length.—3 cm.

-   Foliage:

-   Leaflets:     -   -   Quantity.—4-5 pairs per lateral branch.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite, decussate.         -   Length.—Up to 16 cm.         -   Width.—14 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical, acuminate tip, decurrent base, crenate             margin.         -   Texture.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Young leaf upper side green RHS N134A; young leaf             under side gray-green RHS 189C; mature leaf upper side RHS             N134A; mature leaf under side RHS 189C.         -   Venation.—Upper side RHS 135C; under side RHS 144A.         -   Petiole.—3-4 cm length, 4-6 mm diameter, color RHS 144A.

INFLORESCENCE

-   -   -   Arrangement.—Composite inflorescences in leaf axils.         -   Inflorescence type.—Capitulum.         -   Inflorescence height.—3-4 cm.         -   Inflorescence width.—7-8 cm.         -   Flowering habit.—Upright.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—2 per lateral stem.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—7 days on the plant.

-   Bud:     -   -   Quantity.—2-3 per lateral stem (buds continue to develop             when dead flowers are removed).         -   Shape.—Globular.         -   Size.—Up to 2 cm in length, 1 cm diameter.         -   Color.—RHS 144C.

-   Florets:     -   -   Appearance.—Disc, tubular to single, fused floret; ray,             involute to almost tubular, not fused.         -   Shape.—Disc, lanceolate; ray oval, involute.         -   Number.—Disc, 5 fused; ray, 5 fused; with about 20 disk             florets and 70 ray florets per capitulum (depending on light             and temperature conditions).         -   Length.—Disc 3 mm, ray 15-30 mm.         -   Width.—Disc 4 mm, ray 20-24 mm.         -   Diameter.—Disc 2-3 mm.         -   Margin.—(Disk and ray) Entire.         -   Apex.—(Disk and ray) Rounded.         -   Color.—Disc, transparent showing yellow-orange, RHS 17A,             anthers; Ray, white RHS 155A, both surfaces, both mature and             immature; when withering, slight yellow-green, RHS 150D, at             base.

-   Phyllaries:     -   -   Length.—4 mm.         -   Width.—4 mm.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Base.—Fused.         -   Apex.—Rounded.         -   Color.—Immature upper side: yellow-green, RHS 144D to,             yellow-green, RHS 150D; immature under side: yellow-green,             RHS 144C; mature upper side: yellow-green, RHS 144D to             yellow-green, RHS 150D, at tips and grey-green, RHS 191B at             base; mature under side grey-green, RHS 191B.         -   Calyx.—4 mm length, 13 mm diameter.         -   Peduncle.—4 cm length, 3 mm diameter, strength: strong;             color RHS N144D with stripes of RHS 141A.

-   Reproductive organs:

-   Androecium:     -   -   Location.—Disk florets only.         -   Anthers.—4 mm in length, RHS 23B.         -   Pollen.—RHS 14A.

-   Gynoecium:     -   -   Location.—Disk and ray florets.         -   Pistils.—1 per ray floret and 1 per disk floret, 12 mm             length.         -   Style.—8 mm length, RHS 1B.         -   Ovary.—RHS 150B.

-   Temperature tolerance: High tolerance to 35° C.; low tolerance to 0°     C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant named ‘Bounty’, as described and illustrated herein. 